Aziz Ansari Announces New Stand-Up Shows

The “Working Out New Material” shows come months after a woman accused him of sexual misconduct

Aziz Ansari photo by Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images

Aziz Ansari has announced several stand-up shows in South Carolina and Tennessee. Billed as “Aziz Ansari Working Out New Material,” the performances are slated to take place in early September at the Charleston Gaillard Center in Charleston, the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville, and the Tivoli Theatre in Chattanooga.

Ansari has kept largely out of the public eye since a woman accused him of sexual misconduct in a lengthy Babe.net piece published in January. Shortly after the piece was published, the comedian issued a statement saying that he believed the sexual activity had been consensual. “ It was true that everything did seem okay to me, so when I heard that it was not the case for her, I was surprised and concerned,” he wrote. “I took her words to heart and responded privately after taking the time to process what she had said.”

The “Working Out New Material” shows are not Ansari’s first since the allegations; he made a return to the stage this past May, giving an unannounced set at the Comedy Cellar in New York City. He recently performed stand-up at venues in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Ansari’s friend and fellow comedian Louis C.K.—who admitted to allegations of sexual misconduct last fall—also recently began mounting a comeback, also giving a short, unannounced set at the Comedy Cellar.